“I’m thinking I’m going to have to honor my wife with copperhead snake skin boots.”

Monroe, N.C., Mayor Robert Burns after his wife was bitten by a copperhead snake at their home in Monroe. As she recovered from a painful bite, the mayor struck a lighter tone while thanking the community for its support. Copperheads account for the vast majority of venomous snakebites in North Carolina. (The Charlotte Observer)